Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abaisser

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of abaisser. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “abaisser” is “to lower” or “to bring down.” The infinitive form of “abaisser” is pronounced as “ah-beh-say.”

The word “abaisser” comes from the Old French verb “abaissier,” which was derived from the Latin word “bassus,” meaning “low.” In everyday French, “abaisser” is commonly used to indicate the action of reducing the height or position of something.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense (past perfect tense), “abaisser” is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’avais abaissé le volume de la musique avant qu’elle ne se réveille.
    (I had lowered the volume of the music before she woke up.)

  2. Ils avaient abaissé les prix avant que la vente ne commence.
    (They had lowered the prices before the sale started.)

  3. Elle avait abaissé la fenêtre de la voiture avant qu’il ne pleuve.
    (She had brought down the car window before it started raining.)

In these examples, “abaisser” is used to indicate an action that had already been completed in the past, emphasizing its occurrence before another event.

Table of the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of abaisser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais abaissé J’avais abaissé la fenêtre. I had lowered the window.
tu tu avais abaissé Tu avais abaissé le volume. You had lowered the volume.
il il avait abaissé Il avait abaissé la porte. He had lowered the door.
elle elle avait abaissé Elle avait abaissé le store. She had lowered the blind.
on on avait abaissé On avait abaissé le rideau. One had lowered the curtain.
nous nous avions abaissé Nous avions abaissé le drapeau. We had lowered the flag.
vous vous aviez abaissé Vous aviez abaissé le rideau. You had lowered the curtain.
ils ils avaient abaissé Ils avaient abaissé le volet. They had lowered the shutter.
elles elles avaient abaissé Elles avaient abaissé le store. They had lowered the blind.

Other Conjugations for Abaisser.

Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser 

Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser (this article)

Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the abaisser Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation! 

Abaisser – About the French Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense

The French “plus-que-parfait” tense is a past tense used to express actions or events that occurred before another past action or event. It is often translated to English as the “pluperfect” tense. The name “plus-que-parfait” literally means “more than perfect,” indicating that it is a tense used to describe actions that were completed before a specific point in the past.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Tense Formation

To form the plus-que-parfait tense, you typically use the auxiliary verb “avoir” (to have) or “être” (to be) in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here are the conjugations for both auxiliary verbs:
1. With “avoir” as the auxiliary verb:
   – J’avais mangé (I had eaten)
   – Tu avais parlé (You had spoken)
   – Il/elle/on avait fini (He/She/One had finished)
   – Nous avions lu (We had read)
   – Vous aviez choisi (You had chosen)
   – Ils/elles avaient joué (They had played)
2. With “être” as the auxiliary verb (usually for intransitive verbs or verbs indicating a state):
   – J’étais parti(e) (I had left)
   – Tu étais arrivé(e) (You had arrived)
   – Il/elle/on était tombé(e) (He/She/One had fallen)
   – Nous étions resté(e)s (We had stayed)
   – Vous étiez né(e)(s) (You had been born)
   – Ils/elles étaient monté(e)s (They had gone up)

Common everyday usage patterns

Sequencing of past events

The plus-que-parfait is used to express a past action that happened before another past action. For example, “J’avais mangé avant qu’il ne soit arrivé” (I had eaten before he arrived).

Background information

It is also used to provide background information or set the stage for a main past event. For instance, “Quand je suis arrivé, ils avaient déjà fini de manger” (When I arrived, they had already finished eating).

Hypothetical or reported speech

In indirect speech, the plus-que-parfait is used to report what someone had said or thought in the past. For example, “Il avait dit qu’il viendrait demain” (He had said that he would come tomorrow).

Interactions with other tenses

– The plus-que-parfait is often used in conjunction with the passé composé (simple past) to establish the sequence of past events. The passé composé describes the more recent action, while the plus-que-parfait describes the action that occurred earlier.
– It can also be used with the conditional mood to express a hypothetical past event, like “Si j’avais su, j’aurais agi différemment” (If I had known, I would have acted differently).
– When used in reported speech, it can be combined with the conditional mood or the imperfect subjunctive to reflect the original mood and tense of the reported statement.

Summary

The French plus-que-parfait tense is an essential part of the language for expressing past actions that occurred before other past actions, providing background information, and reporting past statements or thoughts. It is an integral component of constructing complex and accurate narratives in French.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb abaisser. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply